…
Three weeks later.
The cold winter wind has blown from the southern region to Yanjing City.
Large swaths of snowflakes fell, covering this majestic ancient city, covering up all the traces on the city wall, leaving only a silvery white coating.
The cold wind blows.
At the main entrance of the palace, countless people braved the cold wind, wearing thick cotton clothes, standing expectantly outside the palace gate, looking into the palace.
At the entrance of the Zhaoxuan Palace in the palace, headed by Zuo Xiang Yu Yiping, there were hundreds of civil and military officials, and talented men stood quietly below them.
Snow fell from the sky, falling on the shoulders of civil and military officials and talented people, and on the soles of their feet, but they did not move.
Because everyone is waiting.
Waiting for the final announcement of this palace examination!
In fact, as usual, there are uncertainties only during the Xuanwen Ranking. After all, once the martial arts test is passed, the ranking on the overall ranking is actually obvious.
But…
This announcement is undoubtedly an exception.
Because no one knows what the results of this announcement will be, and no one knows who will be at the top of the list this time.
Finally, the door of Zhaoxuan Palace opened.
Warm air containing the smell of charcoal came out from the hall. The expressions of the civil and military officials and talents tightened slightly, and each of their bodies subconsciously stood up straighter. Although they all lowered their heads, their gazes But they all looked at the palace door intentionally or unintentionally.
Without the Minister of Rites and the Superintendent of the Royal Academy, normally the announcement would be made by the Holy Emperor himself, or by Zuo Xiang Yu Yiping like the last time.
However, what was unexpected was that although the door of the Zhaoxuan Hall was opened, the figure of the Holy Lord Lin Mubai did not come out of the Zhaoxuan Hall.
At this moment, standing at the entrance of Zhaoxuan Palace were eight imperial guardsmen wearing golden armor.
Everyone had solemn expressions on their faces, and in the hands of these eight Imperial Guards, they were jointly carrying a huge square object covered with golden brocade. It was obvious that this square object was the stone.
"Do you want to show up directly?"
All the civil and military officials and scholars looked at each other when they saw this scene. No one spoke, but such an idea arose in their hearts at the same time.
The Imperial Palace is the place where emperors of each generation passed away or ascended the throne to announce imperial edicts.
Similarly, it is also the place where Daxia announces the imperial examination gold list. After each title on the gold list, a stone with a golden name engraved on it will be erected in the Zhaoxuan Hall.
This also represents the importance Daxia attaches to the palace examination.
only…
As the most grand palace examination, the results of the palace examination have always been announced first, and then the stones are revealed, but this time, it seems to be a little different from usual.
He actually lifted the ranking stone directly.
The civil and military officials did not speak, and the talents waiting for the announcement also did not speak. The cold wind blew by, and in addition to the coldness, there was also oppression in the air.
The eight Imperial Guards walked out of the Zhaoxuan Palace with steady steps. They stepped on the thick snow and made a crunching sound, but their bodies did not shake at all.
Soon, the eight imperial guards stopped.
Because, they just walked out of Zhaoxuan Hall, stopped at the gate of the hall, and then slowly loosened their hands.
The huge stone fell steadily to the ground.
"Open the gold list!"
A slightly sharp voice rang at the door of Zhaoxuan Hall. The voice was not too loud, but the penetrating power was extremely strong.
And as this voice sounded, similar voices quickly followed.
"Open the gold list!"
"Open the gold list!"
“…”
Such a sound spread from the Zhaoxuan Palace to the main entrance of the palace, and then from the main entrance of the palace to the four gates of Yanjing City.
Yanjing City was boiling at this moment.
Whether they were in business, politics, or the military, they all stopped what they were doing and looked far away in the direction of the Imperial Palace's Zhaoxuan Hall.
In front of the Zhaoxuan Hall, the golden brocade cloth has been slowly unveiled.
One by one, golden names appeared on the list. There were only ten people on the palace test gold list. This was the rule that had been set since the founding of the Great Xia Kingdom.
"I'm on the list!" an excited voice rang.
"I'm on the list too!" Another excited voice also rang, "I'm on the gold list. This is a truly eternal honor. How can you not be excited?"
As two voices sounded, a third voice, and a fourth voice also sounded one after another...
“Nangong Hao is number one!”
"As expected, Nangong Hao has made great achievements in the Southern Territory. He signed a ten-year peace contract with the Southern Territory on behalf of Daxia. He deserves the first place."
"Yeah, it's just... why is Yan Xiu third?"
After seeing their names clearly on the list, each of the talented people also looked at the top of the list, where Nangong Hao's name stood at the top.
"No, there are only nine names on this gold list!"
"nine?!"
"Look, Nangong Hao's name is not correct!"
"Improper?!"
"Really, if you follow the position of Nangong Hao's name, there should be another one on his right..."
"That means Fang Zhengzheng..."
After the talents noticed Yan Xiu's ranking on the gold list, some talents finally noticed the strangeness on the list stone. However, when the words Fang Zhengzheng were uttered, the talent seemed to realize something, and quickly He closed his mouth with a look of panic.
"The gold list has been opened. According to the rules of past dynasties, the top three on the gold list will have the opportunity to participate in the Tiandao Pavilion selection test seven days later. Nangong Hao, do you want to participate in the Tiandao Pavilion selection test this time?" The voice outside the palace door rang again. He got up and did not answer the intellectuals' questions. It felt as if he had not heard the intellectuals' discussion at all.
"I'm participating!" A white figure stood out from the crowd, with sword eyebrows and starry eyes. The cold wind blew by, and the silver-white scabbard on his back exuded a faint brilliance.
"Well, Mr. Nangong is willing to participate in the selection test of Tiandao Pavilion. It is a blessing for our Great Xia Dynasty and a blessing for the Nangong family!" The voice nodded after hearing this.
When the other civil and military officials and talents heard this, they all expressed admiration and envy on their faces. Tiandao Pavilion was the real place of cultivation.
"Master Nangong takes part in the Tiandao Pavilion selection test and will definitely succeed immediately!"
"That's of course. With Young Master Nangong's strength, he was able to enter the Tiandao Pavilion for the exam four years ago. There is no problem now."
"Congratulations, Mr. Nangong!"
All the talented people immediately congratulated Nangong Hao.
Nangong Hao also returned the greetings one by one, and then slowly turned back to the crowd. Everything looked so ordinary.
The eyes at the entrance of Zhaoxuan Hall looked at the crowd again, and finally fell on a face in the crowd that was as cold as ice.
"Yan Xiu, are you going to take part in the selection test for Tiandao Pavilion?" The voice sounded again. Although it was still a bit sharp, the tone was obviously strange.
"Why is Fang Zhengzheng not on the list!" A figure walked out of the crowd at the same time as the voice sounded. His face was a little pale, and he was obviously recovering from a serious injury.
However, his body stood very straight, not even bending in the cold wind, and his ink-colored clothes swayed gently in the cold wind.
His name is…
Yanxiu!
"Yan Xiu, Eunuch Wei is asking you whether you want to participate in the Tiandao Pavilion selection test. We can discuss other matters after the Tiandao Pavilion selection test is over." A voice rang out among the civil and military officials.
"What I'm asking is, why is Fang Zhengzheng not on the list!" Yan Xiu didn't even look at the minister, he just looked at the Zhaoxuan Palace.
In other words, from beginning to end, his eyes were only fixed on the Zhaoxuan Hall and never moved away.
"Yan Xiu, this is the Zhaoxuan Palace, don't be arrogant!" the voice of the Minister of Punishment rang out. As the chief minister in charge of the laws of the Punishment Department, he naturally could not let such a thing happen before his eyes.
"Why is Fang Zhengzheng not on the list!" Yan Xiu's voice sounded again, without any wavering at all.
"Yan Xiu!" The voice of Zuo Xiang Yu Yiping finally rang at this time. The red official uniform represented his position as chief assistant among the civil and military officials.
"According to the rules of the palace examination, the end time of the martial arts examination is set before the battle in the Southern Territory, that is, during the battle of Han Yuan Tribe. At that time, Fang Zhengzheng already had nearly 50,000 troops in front of Han Yuan Tribe. The remaining The only candidates are Nangong Hao and me, why is his name not on this list!" Yan Xiu ignored Zuo Xiang Yu Yiping, he just stared at the Zhaoxuan Hall and said word by word.
"Is a minister who conspires against the country also qualified to be on the gold list?"
"The frivolous princess of the Southern Territory, this is something everyone knows! Who can be a gentleman with such a character? Moreover, this rebellious minister also killed the Crown Prince of the Southern Territory and stabbed the prince on the road. Such a crime would have been committed by the Holy Spirit if he had not punished the Nine Tribes of Lian. Leniency, Yan Xiu, what else do you want?"
"Yes, Yan Xiu, you are different from Fang Zhengzheng. You come from a famous family and are serving the country. Now the selection test for Tiandao Pavilion is just around the corner. You should focus on the selection first instead of serving for the country. These rebellious ministers and rebellious sons are arguing!"
When the civil and military officials heard this, they finally became angry.
"Before you are convicted, there is no charge! I only want to ask one question today, why is there no name like Fang Zhengzheng on the list?" Yan Xiu bit his lips and clenched his fists subconsciously.
"Yan Xiu, you..." All the civil and military officials were angry, and even Zuo Xiang Yu Yiping's face turned slightly red.
The talented scholars all had their eyes widened. They had never thought that Yan Xiu would argue with the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty in front of the Zhaoxuan Palace.
Purpose…
It turned out to be just for Fang Zhengzheng.
"Crack!" At this moment, a slight sound came from the door of Zhaoxuan Hall, which was the sound of shoes stepping on the snow.
The voice is very soft.
However, after hearing this voice, all the civil and military officials and all the talented people's expressions changed, and then they all knelt down.
"Long live my emperor, long live my emperor!" The voice was respectful and neat.
Holy Master Lin Mubai looked at the only young man standing in the crowd, his golden dragon robe making a rustling sound in the cold wind.
"Are you asking me why Fang Zhengyi's name is not on the list?" The expression on the face of the Holy Master Lin Mubai looked calm, but all the civil and military officials and scholars could hear the coldness in his tone.
That kind of coldness is different from the cold wind in winter. If the cold wind in winter blows people's skin and flesh, then this kind of coldness soaks people's souls.
"Yes!" Yan Xiu nodded slightly, with the same indifferent tone.
"Okay, then I will tell you that I left his name on the list for him. As long as he produces evidence to prove that Princess Shanyu, Prince Shanling and the Crown Prince have nothing to do with him, I will personally engrave his name on it. , are you satisfied with this answer?" Holy Master Lin Mubai frowned slightly.
"Your Majesty, calm down!"
When all the civil and military officials heard this, they all kowtowed.
Yan Xiu didn't speak. He just bit his lips and looked quietly at the stone standing in front of the Holy Master Lin Mubai and the blank space to the right of Nangong Hao's name.
The wind and snow gradually became stronger, and snowflakes fell all over the sky.
"Yan Xiu, the emperor has already answered your question. Now you should talk about whether you will participate in the selection test of Tiandao Pavilion, right?" Eunuch Wei's voice rang at this time.
As a minister next to the Holy Lord Lin Mubai, he certainly knows when to say something, and even more clearly, when he must say something.
"After the emperor has his name engraved on it, I will naturally participate!" After Yan Xiu finished speaking, he knelt down directly towards the sage Lin Mubai.
However, after kneeling, he stood up again, then turned around and walked towards the outside of the palace without any pause.
"this… "
"It's so presumptuous!"
"Your Majesty, would you like to..."
The civil and military officials looked at this scene, and all of them looked at the Holy Lord Lin Mubai.
"Let him go!" The Holy Lord Lin Mubai waved his hand towards the civil and military officials, then looked at the white snow in the sky, then turned around and walked into the Zhaoxuan Hall.
…
…
One year later, spring.
Within the territory of the Great Xia Dynasty, in a quiet mansion, red bricks, blue tiles, and flowers were in full bloom, and a faint fragrance was floating in the courtyard of the mansion.
And sitting on the swing in the courtyard was a woman wearing a black emerald smoked sweater. Her snow-white skin and picturesque eyebrows showed her charm among the flowers.
Especially the bit of bright red cinnabar between the woman's eyebrows is like a bit of bright red falling in the white snow, making the woman's body exude a charming, boneless and charming posture.
The woman's body was swaying on the swing, but her eyes were always looking at a clear small pond not far in front of her.
The small pond was covered with flowers that had been blown down by the wind. Several bright red carps were swimming in the pond, their tails waving faint ripples.
"Why aren't you coming out? Could it be that... your head got stuck in the door?" The woman made a coquettish voice, seeming a little angry.
And at this moment...
The small pond also shook slightly. After a while, the vibrations intensified significantly. The water waves rolled, and a huge disc-shaped black stone slowly rose from the bottom of the small pond.
"Huh? It's out!" The woman's eyes lit up obviously, and then the charming expression on her face disappeared without a trace in an instant, leaving only a calm expression.
As the woman's voice fell, a crack appeared on the black stone. It looked like a door was pushed open from the inside.
The woman's hand subconsciously grasped the rope of the swing, stopped the swing, and stared closely at the dark-looking crack.
Soon, the crack was completely opened.
Immediately afterwards…
A figure walked out of the gap.
It was an old man with a white beard, bare feet, and wearing a wide white robe. His face looked very calm, and there were not many features on his face. The only thing that could make people notice was that his beard was very dark. The hair was very long, reaching to his waist.
"Master!" When the woman saw the old man, she immediately jumped off the swing. Immediately afterwards, the woman's eyes bypassed the old man and looked behind him.
"Hey, Yu'er is waiting to become your teacher?" As soon as the old man saw the woman, a smile immediately filled his face. He subconsciously stroked his beard with his thin hand, showing a satisfied expression.
"Where is he?" The woman ignored the old man's question and continued to look behind him.
"Who is it?" The old man looked confused.
"That guy, why doesn't he come out? Could it be that his head was really caught in the door like last time?" As soon as the woman mentioned that her head was caught in the door, a smile appeared on her lips subconsciously.
It seemed like he was remembering something.
"So Yu'er isn't waiting to become a teacher?" The old man was obviously disappointed.
"Wait, of course Yu'er is waiting for the master, but where is that guy? Is he still inside?" the woman continued to ask while answering.
"Not there." The old man shook his head.
"Not there? How is this possible? Could he turn into a flaming chicken and fly away without him inside?" The woman looked a little surprised when she heard the old man's words.
"It just turned into a chicken with fire feathers and flew away." The old man nodded seriously.
"Master, stop joking. Without your guidance, how could he have gotten out of this 'water realm'?" The woman obviously didn't believe it.
"Yes, why can he get out of the 'Water Demonic Realm'?" The old man nodded slightly when he heard this, with a look of confusion on his face.
"Master, you... can't do it? Can that guy come out on his own?"
"should be!"
"Ah? Then where did he go? Could it be that he went to Yanjing City?! This...I'm not completely ready yet. If I go to Yanjing City now..."
"That's not true. He didn't go to Yanjing City."
"He didn't go to Yanjing City? Then where else could he go?"
"I heard what he meant was that he was feeling a little bored after being in there for a long time and wanted to go out and see the scenery."
"See the scenery? Where to see the scenery?"
"It seems that I want to go to Blood Shadow City to see it!"
"Blood Shadow City, oh... as long as it's not Yan Jing... wait a minute, master, you mean Blood Shadow City?! Then... isn't that the capital of the demon clan?" The woman's face completely changed at this moment.
(Another 5,000-word chapter, wishing everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival! By the way, asking for a monthly pass, isn’t it too much?) (To be continued.)
(End of chapter)